A pair of Chicago Police officers Wednesday rescued an elderly woman in a wheelchair from a burning building and helped alert an entire South Shore building that they were in danger.

"If it hadn't been for the police department, I don't know where we'd be right now," said Julius Riley, a resident of the building who escaped unharmed. "Thank you very much. Thank you and God Bless,"

The fire broke out about 1 a.m., in the 7200 block of S. Stony Island. Chicago Police officers in the area spotted smoke coming from the roof of the 2 1/2 story townhouse. Witnesses say the officers kicked in the door of the building and ran inside where they found an elderly woman in a wheelchair.